PHOTOS: Queen Elizabeth Recycles Her Favorite White Dress

Every time someone shells out $200 or more on a hideous floor length bridesmaid’s dress, they’re bound to hear those 8 dreaded words: you can shorten it and wear it again! Let’s face it — reworking an item of clothing that was intended for a specific event is often impractical and usually comes out, well, heinously ugly.

Unless, of course, you’re the Queen of England. Apparently even when you live in the lap of royal luxury, you sometimes want to rework your favorite dress. The Queen of England stepped out in an updated version of her favorite gown, which she has previously called “a very useful dress.”

She originally wore the white gown last fall to a state dinner in Trinidad and Tobago. At that time, the white long-sleeved embroidered dress had applique birds signifying the host country’s national birds. Last night in Toronto, the Queen re-wore her dress, this time sans birds, but with Swarovski crystals, arranged carefully by Angela Kelly, her dresser and assistant, in the shape of maple leafs to honor Canada.